5/24/12 11:38 AM EDT

"Ted Cruz is spellbinding, a tremendous orator and principled," Santorum said on Glenn Beck's radio show Thursday morning, according to Santorum's staff. "We need people who can motivate and lead … Ted has that capability."

Santorum reportedly said Cruz, a former state solicitor general, is a "good, conservative vote" and can "engage" beyond taxes and spending.

Santorum repeated much of the same praise during an appearance on Dallas radio station WBAP, telling host Ben Ferguson that he's known Cruz for 5 or 6 years and regards him as a "dynamic individual" who can act as a strong advocate in the Senate.

The former presidential candidate encouraged Texas voters to head to the polls next Tuesday for Cruz. "Let's deliver Ted a big victory here," Santorum said, noting that ideally the campaign would like a win over 50 percent to avoid a runoff.

Santorum's support is the latest in a string of other national conservative pols and groups: Sarah Palin, the Club for Growth and the Tea Party Express, to name a few. It's unclear whether the announcement will have any effect on the race -- Jon Bruning, the last state-level candidate Santorum endorsed, lost his Senate primary last week.